Peggotty was fired by Murdstone's couple

The dismissal of Clara Peggotty after Clara Copperfield’s funeral marks the end of her daily place in the Blunderstone household and exposes how little protection remains for David there. Although she is given a month’s notice, the decision is not followed by any comparable plan for the boy: his future is left unspoken, and the household’s attention to him gives way to neglect.

Circumstances and Dismissal

Jane Murdstone’s first act of business after the funeral was to give Clara Peggotty a month’s warning. Clara Peggotty had cared deeply for David and, in his belief, would have kept serving in the household for his sake even if a better position had been available. The two grieved together over the coming separation, making clear that their attachment was more than a servant’s duty.

The contrast with David’s treatment is immediate. No one discussed what would become of him or took a step to arrange his future. When he asked Jane Murdstone whether he would return to school, she told him she believed he would not. The restrictions previously imposed on him were also dropped: he was no longer required to sit in the parlour, and nobody sought him out so long as he kept away from Edward Murdstone. The apparent easing of control therefore brought no renewed care; David came to understand that neglect, rather than further instruction, was what he had to expect.

Clara Peggotty’s Search for a Place

Clara Peggotty tried to find suitable employment in Blunderstone but could find none. She expected that she would have to go to Yarmouth and live there. The move threatened to separate her from David, but she promised to visit him every week for as long as he remained behind. That assurance relieved some of his anxiety, because her continuing presence offered a dependable connection in a household where his place was uncertain.

Before leaving for Yarmouth, Clara Peggotty planned to spend a fortnight with her brother. She proposed taking David along, since the Murdstones did not presently want him with them. For David, the prospect meant returning to the welcome of the Peggotty family and to the familiar company of little Emily Peggotty. Jane Murdstone objected that he would be idle there, while conceding that, in her view, he would be idle anywhere. Her decisive concern was that Edward Murdstone should not be disturbed or made uncomfortable, and on that basis she gave permission.

Separation and Continuing Attachment

David took care not to display too much pleasure, fearing that Jane Murdstone might withdraw her consent. The permission stood, and when Clara Peggotty’s month was over, she and David were ready to leave. Mr. Barkis came into the house to carry away her boxes; his unusual entrance and meaningful look toward David accompany the practical moment of departure, though the scene does not explain that look further.

The episode establishes a lasting contrast between formal household authority and personal loyalty. The Murdstones decide where Clara Peggotty may work and whether David may visit her, yet the emotional security he associates with her and her family survives their decision. Her dismissal removes her from the home, but it does not end her care for David: the promised weekly visits and the planned journey together make their separation a change of household, not a severing of their bond.